“Children’s cafeterias” are rapidly increasing across Japan.
There are now more than 10,000 nationwide, and the movement has spread to more than 120 locations in Okayama Prefecture alone. They have become safe places where people can feel at ease not only for children but also for adults, and are now indispensable to their communities.
However, as their numbers grow, so do the challenges of running them and the burden on those who support them. In this context, renewed attention is being paid to the role of “networks” that connect and support children’s cafeterias.
Okayama Children’s Cafeteria Support Center, a general incorporated association has begun providing intermediary support, serving as a link between children’s cafeterias. One initiative was the “Launch Meeting and Networking Event for the Children’s Cafeteria Municipal-Area Network.”
We report on this gathering, where participants from a range of backgrounds—including people interested in children’s cafeterias and those already involved who were facing challenges—came together to learn and share their thoughts.
The information presented was current when this article was published in October 2025. Please note that it may differ from current information.
The Children’s Cafeteria Municipal Network gets underway
The “Children’s Cafeteria Municipal-Area Network Launch Meeting and Networking Event” began in fiscal 2025.
It is hosted by the Okayama Children’s Cafeteria Support Center, a general incorporated association, which supports children’s cafeterias in Okayama Prefecture. It is held as a project commissioned by the Okayama Prefectural Children and Family Affairs Division.
The event is being held in locations across Okayama Prefecture, which has been divided into seven areas. It was planned as a place for people running children’s cafeterias across the prefecture to connect and learn from one another.
The event features networking examples from other prefectures, operational ideas, and ideas for revitalizing municipal-area networks. Participants also have time to exchange opinions and ask questions.
Each event also includes a talk by a guest involved in supporting children, sharing practical ideas and messages that can help lighten the heart.
Soja, Niimi, and Takahashi City come together for launch meeting and networking event
The third Children’s Cafeteria Municipal-Area Network Launch Meeting and Networking Event was held on Saturday, August 23, 2025, jointly by Soja, Niimi, and Takahashi City, in Conference Room 1 at Soja City Central Community Center.
Around 20 students from Soja High School and Soja Minami High School volunteered to help set up the venue.
From 11:30 a.m., they helped with decorations and arranging tables, and preparations proceeded in a lively, youthful atmosphere.
Participants began arriving one after another after 12:30 p.m., and the venue was nearly full, with around 60 people attending.
At the opening, Katsuki Naoshima, representative of the Okayama Children’s Cafeteria Support Center, a general incorporated association, gave a greeting.
He explained that the Okayama Children’s Cafeteria Support Center provides supplies and operational support so that children’s cafeteria activities can take root in their communities and continue sustainably. He added, “I hope we can grow these places as spaces where connections form across generations.”
Talk: “Children’s Cafeterias: Initiatives in Yamaguchi Prefecture”
The first talk was “Children’s Cafeterias: Initiatives in Yamaguchi Prefecture,” delivered by Miwa Sugiyama, chief coordinator at the Yamaguchi Prefecture Children’s Cafeteria Support Center.
She clearly explained the current situation of children’s cafeterias, which have spread to more than 200 locations in Yamaguchi Prefecture, and the thoughts behind the movement.
Why children’s cafeterias have increased in Yamaguchi Prefecture
Yamaguchi Prefecture has a population of 1.33 million, fewer than Okayama Prefecture’s approximately 1.87 million.
The catalyst for the rapid spread of children’s cafeterias in Yamaguchi Prefecture, where there had been only four, was apparently the “Children’s Cafeteria Support Declaration” issued by the prefectural governor in 2019.
The initiative then spread throughout Yamaguchi Prefecture.
Children’s cafeterias are welcoming places
Sugiyama described a children’s cafeteria as “a place where children can come alone and feel safe.” There are no particularly strict rules, and the way they operate varies from community to community.
Examples included “Kananowa,” which serves 200 meals every day, and “Aozora Gohan,” which hands out breakfast on the street before school, among other diverse initiatives.
She also spoke about “Best Friends,” a children’s cafeteria that had operated for many years but closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Switching to meal deliveries where people could not see one another reportedly caused the operators to lose motivation.
“A sense of purpose is also important if we’re to keep providing support,” Sugiyama said.
To support the establishment and operation of children’s cafeterias, Yamaguchi Prefecture currently has nine coordinators in place and has developed systems to support operations, including creating a map and publishing a support book, crowdfunding, and raising funds in partnership with businesses.
The “Children’s Support Bento,” sold in partnership with local businesses, donates 10 yen per meal and reportedly generates more than 1.5 million yen in support each year.
Creating places that respect children’s voices
In the latter half of her talk, she introduced the fundamental principle that “whether a place becomes a place of belonging is for the child to decide,” and said that adults should not impose their ideals and should respect children’s voices.
She also touched on the difficulty of resuming shared meals as activities expand and the challenge of securing funds, concluding, “Bringing together small contributions creates the strength to keep supporting people.”
Case studies (Soja City, Niimi City, Takahashi City)
After the talk came case study presentations from Soja City, Niimi City, and Takahashi City.
1. Soja City: “Children’s Cafeterias and the Current Situation in Soja City”
The presentation on Soja City was given by Kensei Yamamoto of the Soja City Council of Social Welfare.
There are currently nine children’s cafeterias in Soja City, run by local residents. Their operating costs are mainly covered by donations from businesses in the city, and each cafeteria reportedly serves as a place for children to belong.
The city regularly holds a “Children’s Cafeteria Liaison Meeting,” where participants share practical challenges—including food hygiene, recruiting staff, and how to get information to families who need it—and work on improvements.
An annual seminar involving schools and businesses also promotes greater awareness and creative ways to recruit people to help.
Children say, “It’s fun” and “It’s delicious!” The people running the cafeterias are also encouraged by words of gratitude from the community.
There have also been cases of collaboration with a support center for people who are socially withdrawn, and of children who do not attend school but are able to go to a children’s cafeteria. Beyond simply providing meals, these cafeterias are increasingly serving as places where the community can keep an eye out for people.
Challenges included how to reach younger generations and securing sustainable funding.
The words, “We want to continue our activities while cherishing the community’s hopes,” conveyed the warmth and strength of the community.
2. Niimi City: “We’re Starting Niu☆Kamukuru Cafeteria”
Next was the presentation from Niimi City.
Members of “Tapepuro,” a club started by students in the Department of Community Welfare at Niimi Public University, took the stage. It began in spring 2023 and now has 45 student members.
The club’s name reportedly conveys ideas such as “activities that leave a lasting impression” and “taking on challenges anywhere.”
The following examples of their activities were introduced:
- A summer festival where participants enjoy wearing yukata
- A cooking experience called “Mochi Mochi Party”
- Study sessions on parenting support
- A booth for children at the university festival
The project they are currently focusing on is “Kamukuru Shokudo,” a children’s cafeteria that the students are taking on for the first time. They have held discussions with local residents and made preparations, and are steadily getting ready for its first opening.
Although the project has only just begun, seeing the students take action, believing that “there is something we can do, too,” gave me a sense of the warm possibilities for the future of the community.
3. Takahashi City: “A Place for Children Created by the Community: Everyone’s Cafeteria Tamariba”
Finally, from Takahashi City, we heard a presentation by Kohei Awamura, a consultation support specialist with the Developmental Support Network Tsumugi.
Alongside an introduction to the organization’s work as a welfare group supporting child development and families, he shared an episode that prompted reflection on how to address difficulties that fall through the “gaps in the system.”
In 2024, they started a children’s cafeteria as a place to gently support people with everyday concerns that the system cannot fully address, such as parenting, financial worries, and a lack of places for children to spend time.
As an “inclusive space” open to everyone in the community, it is held on the third Saturday of every month.
Inclusive
An approach in which everyone is welcomed and can spend time together, regardless of age, disability, nationality, gender, or other factors
In addition to serving meals, the cafeteria offers activities, homework support, and a place where parents can take a breather. It now has around 40 participants. The take-home corner, stocked with donations from the community, is also popular.
The challenges that have emerged through their work include “families who are difficult to connect with support,” “weaker community ties,” and “the need for coordination among diverse support services.” Looking ahead, he spoke passionately about wanting to “create warm connections that fill the gaps in people’s daily lives.”
The networking event
Toward the end of the launch event, Katsuki Naoshima, representative of the Okayama Children’s Cafeteria Support Center, appeared again. He explained that children’s cafeterias in Okayama Prefecture use activities in Yamaguchi Prefecture as a model, and that, thanks to this connection, they had invited a community coordinator from Yamaguchi Prefecture to speak at the event.
Learn from good examples and adapt them to suit the community
I felt that this approach forms the foundation of the network.
After that, the mascots from Soja City, Niimi City, and Takahashi City also appeared, and everyone took a commemorative photo.
The high school and university students took photos and chatted with other participants about children’s cafeterias. The friendly exchange continued, and the launch event and networking event came to a close amid relaxed conversation.
We spoke with Katsuki Naoshima, representative of the general incorporated association Okayama Children’s Cafeteria Support Center, which hosted the launch event and networking event.
Children’s Cafeteria City-Area Network Launch Event and Networking Event Information
| Name | Children’s Cafeteria City-Area Network Launch Event and Networking Event |
|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, August 23, 2025 |
| Location | 3-1-102 Chuo, Soja City Soja Central Community Center, Meeting Room 1 |
| Admission (tax included) | Free |
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